Mises Wire

In this week’s Friday Philosophy, Dr. David Gordon discusses Jeff McMahan’s thoughts on fighting in both just and unjust wars. “Just following orders” is still immoral when one is promoting a war unjustly carried out.

It is important to note that states and what we know as taxes gradually emerged through war, conquest, plunder, and tribute. While the organization has changed and become formalized over time, states and taxes have not lost their coercive character.

The anti-meat movement has influenced government policy well beyond anything close to the truth about meat. From the discredited food pyramid to government funding of “lab-grown meat,” government aids the activists who are making our lives worse.

Jonathan Newman was present as one of the Federal Reserve governors gave a talk and was able to ask questions. It seems there is not much behind the Fed’s technocratic veneer.

The conservatives finally got their populist victory for middle-American working-class voters. The result is more federal spending, more federal power, and Israel-first foreign policy. 

President Trump is not only angering Iranians and most of Europe. He also is making new enemies in both North and South America. Perhaps it is time for policy reset.

A foreign policy that seeks to maintain a global empire is entirely incompatible with the laissez-faire, free-market system at home that many hawkish self-described libertarians claim to support.

According to Rothbard’s first law of incidence, “no tax can be shifted forward.” That is, the person or company paying the tax cannot make the buyer pay the tax. 

In dealing with the question of why the United States, a country founded on liberty, turned into a militaristic behemoth, Ralph Raico looked to the work of historian Arthur Ekirch for answers.

With President Trump demanding people in the armed forces as well as in other government offices do his bidding no matter what the law might be, it is time for people to learn the lesson of Captain Vere.